Jeff Seidel: It was fun in the snow -- until Lions plowed under as usual

December 10, 2012

Detroit Free Press Columnist

G REEN BAY, Wis. -- Oh, it was fun for a while. A long time ago. Back in training camp. When everybody was giddy about the Lions' chances this season.

Seriously? When are you gonna learn?

And it was fun for a moment Sunday night at Lambeau Field. It was cold and snowing, and the Lions built a stunning 14-point lead over the Packers on prime-time TV. And maybe, just maybe.

Nah.

Seriously, did you expect the Lions to lead the Packers at Lambeau?

And then, the Lions started to melt down -- of course, they did -- and Aaron Rodgers did a quick Discount Double Check. Followed by a Lambeau Leap. And then some guy named DuJuan Harris -- who? -- seriously, some guy named DuJuan Harris, out of Troy, ran right through the Lions' defense and scored his first career touchdown. Which figures. It had to be his first.

And it was all over. Final: Packers 27, Lions 20.

Yes. We have seen this before.

Green Bay came from behind to win its 21st straight regular-season game over the Lions in Wisconsin, which is the longest such streak in NFL history.

Which figures, right?

The old college try

Now, a word about the first half -- before the meltdown.

The Lions started this game by cracking open their playbook, flipping way to the back, separating a few pages that were stuck together and finding several surprising plays.

There was a cool reverse to Mike Thomas that gained 22 yards. The key block? It was by Matthew Stafford, who cut down a linebacker as if he were Paul Bunyan whacking down a tree in the Wisconsin wilderness.

There was the time Calvin Johnson lined up at tailback, as a decoy.

Quick pause: OK. We want more of that. If you are gonna lose a gazillion in a row, you might as well make it interesting.

And finally, on a fourth-and-1, everybody in Wisconsin thought the Lions would be boring and conservative and try to go over the top. Or maybe, they would throw a fade to Megatron. But instead, Stafford fooled everybody on a naked bootleg for a touchdown.

It was a beautiful, stunning play. A great, creative call.

Quick note: More of that!

And then there was the debut of wide receiver Kris Durham, a 6-foot-6 BFF of Stafford (Best Friend Forever, for those who were alive the last time the Lions won at Lambeau). Durham went directly from the practice squad to the highlight reel. Durham had an amazing, one-handed circus catch that set up the Lions' second touchdown drive.

Quick note to Fathead: This catch deserves to be on a poster. Immediately.

Durham is a great story. He was Stafford's roommate at Georgia and was signed to the practice squad in September.

Durham is still living with Stafford, although, presumably, it's a much bigger place.

Beginning of the end

At one point in this game, the Lions had a 14-0 lead, their biggest in Lambeau since most of these guys were born.

Of course, this being the Lions, the meltdown was inevitable.

Stafford went back to pass and the ball squirted out of his hand. To be fair, it was snowing and the windchill at the start of the game was 21 degrees.

But those are excuses. And the Packers have a way of turning mistakes into touchdowns.

Mike Daniels promptly scooped up the ball and ran it back 43 yards for a touchdown.

Then came the interception.

In the second quarter, the Lions were marching again, but Stafford threw an interception, which appeared to be a miscommunication with his roommate. Durham went this way, and Stafford threw it that way. But, hey, you'll have some problems like that, when a guy goes straight from the practice squad to a starting role.

Yes, it was fun for a while.

And then, all those remarkable plays disappeared, and suddenly, Stafford's passes seemed to just miss, and the Packers (9-4) rolled to another victory over the Lions (4-9).